


Unexpected but not Unwelcome

by damtoti



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Banter, Dialogue Heavy, Fantasy, Fluff, M/M, No Plot/Plotless, Romance, ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:01:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22722118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/damtoti/pseuds/damtoti
Summary: Lovino Vargas, skilled bard and professional grump, comes across a familiar face where he least expects it. It turns out this turn of fate may last a little longer than he thinks.BWP (Banter without plot)
Relationships: Prussia/South Italy (Hetalia)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 27





	Unexpected but not Unwelcome

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SnowyWolff](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowyWolff/gifts).



> For the Prumano Secret Valentine event. The prompts I chose were "haven't seen each other in a long time but still love each other" and "fantasy AU", (if you squint)
> 
> It could be better and maybe I'll edit it sometime in the future, but hopefully it's still enjoyable. It was supposed to be shorter but Lovi and Gil were too damn chatty.

“Please, please, _please_ , can I try and play it?” Alfred asked. It was the same question he had asked yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that day, and so on.

Lovino twisted away, just in case Alfred tried to grab at his violin. “No! Knowing you, it’ll be broken before I even hand it to you.”

“Okay, fine, I get it! No sharing allowed. But if I got my own violin, could you make it so mine can do magic too?”

“There’s no way for me to do that.”

Alfred pouted. “Why not?”

“For starters, you’d need to actually have magical talent,” Lovino said.

“Can’t I just learn it at an apprenticeship? Maybe you could teach me!”

Lovino snorted. “Sorry, you either have an affinity for it or you don’t. And when you have it, it just...comes out. It’s actually more of an effort to hold it in.”

“Well, when did you know you could do magic? Like around my age?” Alfred asked hopefully.

“No, very young. Almost as soon as I could move and speak.”

Alfred’s brow furrowed as he thought over Lovino’s answer. He realized it wasn’t an answer he liked, and switched to a different trajectory. “So what’s the _worst_ you can do to someone? Can you make someone cry? Or make them sick? Or…” Alfred’s eyes went very wide, and in a solemn whisper, he asked, “Have you ever killed someone?”

Lovino resisted the urge to laugh. He wasn’t weak by any means, but there’s a reason why bards weren’t seen as threats. “No.” He couldn’t tell if Alfred looked relieved or disappointed. “The people who hire me usually find me more effective at buffing whatever skills they have rather than going after enemies.”

“Like...making them stronger? Can you make me stronger?” Alfred asked.

Alfred, the kid who could singlehandedly drag a carriage out of a ditch wanted to be stronger? Seriously, what the fuck did his parents feed him?

“Not a fucking chance! Next thing I’ll hear, you’ll have smashed through this entire town, and I’ll be the one to blame!”

Alfred pouted. “I wouldn’t do that! I’d rescue people!”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’d _try_ ,” Lovino corrected. “Besides, I’m trying to save my energy. I have a job coming up.”

Alfred’s eyes widened. “A job? What kind of job? Is it going to be dangerous?”

“That’s none of your business,” Lovino said, but truthfully, he wasn’t quite sure himself. 

A few days after he’d met Alfred, he met another equally annoying character named Antonio. Like Lovino, Antonio was another traveller, and thankfully someone who was accustomed to magic. It came as a relief to Lovino, who was beginning to feel like he was surrounded by idiots. Although the townsfolk were welcoming, they weren’t accustomed to magic. It made getting paid challenging, since none of them understood what a bard did. So Lovino had taken to performing as an ordinary street musician to pay for his awful habit of needing food to survive.

Antonio had stayed after one of Lovino’s performances, and with an easy smile, he’d asked Lovino a million mundane questions, enough to make Alfred seem tolerable by comparison. When the crowd finally dispersed, Antonio leaned close and revealed the real reason he was there. He could tell Lovino is more than an ordinary musician, and he’d like to recruit him for a top secret super special and maybe fun mission.

Lovino wasn’t the bravest person, but he’d figured if someone as brain dead as Antonio expected to survive, it couldn’t be that dangerous. Once Lovino had agreed (he needed the money, after all), Antonio had whipped out a strange contract. Lovino had felt a strange magical force emanating from the papers, but from what he could tell, the magic didn’t have a sinister origin. Plus, Antonio didn’t seem like the evil type. Lovino was typically a pretty good judge of character.

Perturbed, but unwilling to back out, Lovino had signed the contract. 

Antonio disappeared soon after. His last message had been when and where Lovino should show up to depart on their mission, and Lovino hadn’t seen him around since. In silent moments such as these, he wondered if impulsively agreeing to the job was the best decision. But then he remembered the amount of pay listed—high, but not implausibly high—and figured he could handle a critical injury or two.

Suddenly, Alfred made a strangled squeak. “Holy shit. Don’t move!”

Lovino jumped, mainly because Alfred had latched hold of his arm, and his grip was like iron around his bones. 

He followed Alfred’s gaze. There was a creature inching towards them from behind an unwatched cart. It was approximately the size of a housecat, but covered in bright yellow scales and spiky edges. From a distance it may have even passed for a child’s toy. A snake-like tongue darted in and out of its mouth, and it hesitated, eyes fixed on the two of them.

“W-What the hell is that?” Alfred squealed.

It was a bit endearing that Alfred, with the strength to nearly crush Lovino’s arm, was terrified of a tiny and mostly harmless creature.

“A dragon,” Lovino said.

“...a...a baby dragon?”

“In a sense.” Lovino had heard this story so many times, the rest spilled out his mouth without thought. “She hatched with a handicap, and the only way to save her was to suspend her in this form.”

If Alfred found it strange that Lovino knew so much about this dragon, he didn’t question it. “Uhhh...” he whimpered. “It’s moving towards us. What do we do? Do we run?”

It would have been amusing to watch Alfred run from something that was essentially as dangerous as a butterfly, but Lovino felt his stomach rumble. “Tell you what. If I can pick up the dragon without getting bit, you buy me something to eat.”

Alfred gaped at him with newfound awe. “Deal.”

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Lovino’s stomach was still rumbling, but he was holding a content, purring dragon.

“You’re just happy because you ate more than half of my dinner,” he mumbled, frowning down at her. It was a habit he’d picked up over the years, even though he knew she couldn’t understand him. “Oh well, if you’re here, that means he’s here. And if he’s here, then he owes me dinner.”

A more efficient method to finding Gilbert would be to set the dragon on the ground and chase after her, but that could be tricky considering the dragon’s surprisingly speed. Lovino didn’t really care for running (or any type of physical exertion), and he was happy to roam about the town at a languid pace. Eventually they would get close to Gilbert, and at that point the dragon would leap out of his arms and scuttle towards him. _Then_ Lovino would have to run.

But it turned out today was Lovino’s lucky day. The dragon decided to stay napping in his arms, and he found Gilbert more by chance than anything. Even in grubby, worn clothes and hair streaked with dirt, Gilbert shone through the crowd like a lantern in the darkness.

But as Lovino stepped behind Gilbert, his grin faltered. It had been so long since he’d seen Gilbert that he wasn’t even sure how to greet him. In the past, he would just nudge Gilbert with his elbow to alert him to his presence, and cut straight to the chase. As far as Lovino was concerned, hellos and goodbyes were the worst part of any encounter.

Now, with so much time lost between the two of them, his normal greeting didn’t feel sufficient. Was he supposed to do something more meaningful? Something more bold and romantic?

He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the dragon had slipped from his arms, and was now pawing at Gilbert’s heels.

“Yeah, what is it?” Gilbert murmured, glancing over his shoulder. He did a double take, and then he spun around.

For a moment they both stood there, stunned into silence.

Then, Gilbert’s mouth split into a grin. “Ha! How long were you standing back there? Didn’t recognize me or something?”

And everything fell back to their normal pace.

Lovino stepped forward, a wry smile playing at his lips. “I was just about to jump out and scare you, idiot! Thanks for ruining it.”

“ _Riiiight_. I definitely believe you.”

Gilbert stank. Lovino could smell him from a foot away. But all he wanted to do was burrow his head into the crook of Gilbert’s neck and squeeze him tight. He tried to play it cool (they were in public after all) but he couldn’t stop a wide grin from spreading across his face. Thankfully, Gilbert saved him the embarrassment by wrapping his arms around him. They stood like that for what might have been hours, and for once, Lovino wasn’t concerned with what anyone else thought.

Then Gilbert chuckled, a low rumbling against Lovino’s ear. “Admit it. You were so blown away by the sight of me you just needed to stand and take it all in.”

Lovino was thankful that the blush spreading over his face was veiled by Gilbert’s chest. “As if! I was just shocked that someone like you could sink so low.”

“Aw, so you admit I usually look attractive!”

Lovino smirked up at him, “Fine, you got me.”

Gilbert patted Lovino’s back a final time, and pulled away. “You smell halfway decent, I don’t want to rub my unique Gilbert funk all over you.”

Lovino kept his hand cupped around Gilbert’s arm, because it was hard _not_ to touch him after all this time. “So how did your trip go? Did you manage to get the egg back safely.”

“Of course I did!” Gilbert said proudly. “Mama Dragon was so grateful, she gave me some jewels from some people she ate, and then she told me I was her favorite human.”

Lovino resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but failed. “Probably because you’re the only human she can speak to.”

Gilbert, willfully missing Lovino’s snide intent, beamed. “I know! I’m awesome, aren’t I?”

Lovino couldn’t help but laugh. “And how’s your little dragon friend been doing?”

Gilbert bent down and scooped her into his arms. “Friendly as ever. She put up such a fuss when it was time to leave that dragon’s nest. She wants to pretend she’s still a baby.”

“Of course she did,” Lovino said, taking the opportunity to tickle the dragon’s exposed belly. He wasn’t that fond of beasts or animals, but there were a few for which he had a soft spot.

“Anyways, what are you doing all the way out here?” Gilbert asked. “I didn’t expect to see you until next year like we planned.”

Lovino shrugged. “I didn’t come here for any particular reason. I thought I could do a few gigs and get some pay. But to be honest, that hasn’t worked out too well.”

“That sucks, but I guess it could have gone worse. Anytime I show up somewhere unprepared, there isn’t a single free room and it turns out the locals live off a diet of toads and snails. You know, I haven’t slept under a roof in ages.”

“You’ve been sleeping in the streets? No wonder you smell like shit! Have your clothes even been washed in the last month?”

“Wow, you haven’t seen me in over a year, and you’re already lecturing me?”

“Shut up, you know I’m happy to see you!”

“I know,” Gilbert said. “And I know I’m really gross right now. If I knew I’d see you I definitely would have taken a bath.”

“Don’t expect me to kiss you until you do.”

Gilbert puckered his lips. “Just a tiny one?”

Lovino sighed. “Fine.”

The chaste peck deepened into something fuller and more longing, until suddenly, they were another rumble from Lovino’s stomach. Lovino pulled back and peeked into Gilbert’s basket.

“Good, you’re already buying food. Get something for me too. I’m starving.”

Gilbert raised an eyebrow. “You know, I’m beginning to think you only like me because I feed you.”

* * *

Once they were done eating, Lovino insisted Gilbert accompany him to a bathhouse. Gilbert could be resistant to general grooming and upkeep, but once he got started, he got _really_ into it. After a cursory scrub, Lovino was content to spend the next half hour soaking in the warm water, Gilbert’s dragon perched on his shoulders. He watched languidly (and maybe a little fondly) as Gilbert scrubbed his skin until it was pink and shiny, shaved the scruff from his face, and brushed his teeth. By the time Gilbert was done, Lovino was lightheaded from the steam and his fingers were shriveled prunes.

“Remind me to never take you to a bathhouse again,” he said when Gilbert was finally ready to leave.

He changed his mind when they were lying on Lovino’s bed (technically, the bed in the room Lovino was renting), hands intertwined and soft breaths falling upon the other’s face. He was grateful that Gilbert was clean and well-groomed, because he doubted he would be able to keep his hands off him either way.

“Hey, dumbass,” Lovino grumbled. “I think you owe me a less gross kiss right about now.”

“Hmm...” Gilbert frowned at the ceiling, pretending to deliberate. “You’re right, I do!” He scrunched his eyes shut, puckered his lips, and leaned in, making exaggerated kissy noises.

With an exasperated grin, Lovino leaned forward so that the tip of his nose brushed Gilbert’s. “I demand the real deal.”

“Don’t worry, this kiss is going to blow you away! I’ve had five years of practice with an attractive bard who happens to be the best kisser I know!”

Lovino rolled his eyes, just as Gilbert snaked his hand around the back of Lovino’s head and urged him forward. Their lips melded together, and the rest followed through automatically. The smoothness of Gilbert’s tongue against his own, the soft groan he made as Lovino nibbled his lower lip. Lovino inched closer, sliding his leg between Gilbert’s, drifting his hand lower down Gilbert’s back.

Gilbert chuckled into Lovino’s mouth as the latter tried to cop a feel. His skin was rough and warm against Lovino’s, but his touch was soft and gentle. Lovino’s hands moved on their own accord, seeking out the most sensitive areas, rubbing and stroking at a pace he knew by heart.

Gilbert nudged Lovino’s head to the side to plant a trail of kisses down his neck. His breath was hot on Lovino’s skin, breaking out in increasingly sharp and disjointed puffs as Lovino tightened his grip around his member. He twisted his hand that way he knew drove Gilbert crazy, accelerating his hand motions, until Gilbert finished with a strangled gasp.

They broke away, panting.

Gilbert’s pale skin was flushed hot pink, his short hair stuck out in every direction, and he was wearing that same dopey grin he made every time Lovino brought him to climax. He looked idiotic, but to Lovino, he’d never looked more attractive.

“I missed you,” Lovino admitted, sneaking his hand into Gilbert’s and squeezing.

“Hm… I bet I missed you more!”

Lovino snorted. “Not everything has to be a competition, you know. But just so we’re clear, I missed you the most.”

“Fine, I’ll let you win this one,” Gilbert said.

Lovino flipped over so his back snuggled into Gilbert’s chest.

Gilbert yawned, wrapping his arm around Lovino’s waist. “Do you want to keep going, or can we cuddle now?”

“I’m too comfy to move, so…”

Gilbert hummed in agreement. His hand dipped down the waist of Lovino’s trousers. “Want me to finish you off like this?”

Lovino twisted his head back to peck GIlbert’s lips. “Hmm… Sure.”

Like Lovino, Gilbert had the movements memorized—the flirty, feathery touches around his thighs and groin, fingers gradually sliding up to grasp his member. He knew how to alter his pace of his hand based solely on Lovino’s breaths, that slowing down right when when Lovino made those harsh, frantic sounds would reward him with nails digging into his arm.

It didn’t take long for Lovino to finish. He squirmed away from the wet spot on the bed.

“Ugh, our sheets are disgusting!”

“That’s not _entirely_ my fault,” Prussia retorted. “We can always wash them tomorrow. And then get them dirty again.”

“So you’re planning to stay a while?” Lovino asked.

“For as long as you want me to. I mean, I wasn’t planning on sticking around, but I can ditch my other obligations. No biggie.”

Lovino’s heart sank. Seeing Gilbert had come as such a surprise that any thoughts of his own responsibilities had been completely erased from his mind.

“Hey,” Lovino mumbled. “There’s something I should tell you.”

“Hm?”

“So I met this guy, Antonio, a few days ago…”

“Uh oh. Should I be worried?” Gilbert teased.

“What? No, not like that!” Lovino floundered. “I mean, he was definitely annoying and talked too much, but he just wanted to recruit me for some dumb job!”

“Well, that’s good, right? With the pay, you can treat _me_ to dinner next time.”

“I guess, but you just got here, and I’ll be leaving in a few days, and I don’t know how long this job will take—”

Gilbert patted his back. “Hey, don’t sweat it! Like I said, I had my own obligations. I wasn’t supposed to stay long either. We’ll probably leave around the same time.”

“So I guess we have a few more days together.”

“Yeah, it’ll be awesome!” Gilbert said, but even with the cheer in his voice he latched on to Lovino as if they were already about to get pulled apart.

Lovino groaned. “To be honest, I’m not even sure I want to go on this stupid job. Antonio barely gave me any details about his objective. The whole thing is starting to sound shadier and shadier the longer I think about it.”

Gilbert made a dismissive noise. “Sounds easy enough. You should hear about _my_ job. I’ll be in the midst of danger the entire time! It’s going to be super awesome!”

Lovino knew Gilbert too well to take offense. He kicked at him halfheartedly. “Shut up, it’s not a competition.”

“Pfft. The only danger I see in _your_ job is this Antonio fellow getting a little too chummy with you.”

Lovino rolled his eyes. “Trust me, it’s not like that. He’s equally annoying to everyone.”

“Then maybe _you_ should be jealous. The lady who recruited me, Francine, was _insanely_ hot. Like...picture the hottest woman you know and multiply her by a thousand. And she was hitting on me the whole time!” 

Lovino snorted. “If her standards are _that_ low, she’s clearly hiding something weird, like...a giant, pulsating mole, or a second face on her ass.”

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Gilbert whined. “Having low standards doesn’t mean you can’t be hot!”

“Prime example being me.” Lovino curled into a fetal position as Gilbert’s fingers sought out and attacked each of his ticklish spots in quick succession. He wheezed with laughter, “Fuckin—Stop it—Gil!” He flailed, trying to escape, and nearly elbowed Gilbert in the face.

“If anyone’s the hot one, it’s me! Admit it!”

“Okay, _fine_ , we’re both equally hot!”

“Hmm, that’s acceptable,” Gilbert said. “Anyways, I swear my job is going to be dangerous! The woman I met told me so!”

“More like she knew exactly what to say to get an idiot like you to sign up.”

“Well, I even had to sign a magical contract, so if I screw up I’ll probably die, or something.”

Lovino jolted upright. “Wait, what?”

“Yeah. A contract means it’s the real deal!”

“No, I mean—I had to sign one too!”

“Oh shit, you don’t think…?” 

“...we got recruited for the same job?”

The silence was broken when Lovino kicked at him again. “You dumbass. Of course you’d make some boring escort mission out to be something insane, like fighting a giant sea monster.”

Gilbert shrugged, grinning. “Hey, if anything, _you’re_ the one who’s not taking this seriously enough. I was promised a chance of death. Nothing’s worth doing if you don’t at least risk your life doing it.”

“What? My contract didn’t say anything about death! What the hell did yours say?”

“Don’t know. Didn’t read it,” Gilbert said proudly.

Lovino’s jaw dropped open. “Are you kidding me? You signed a magical contract without even reading it?”

“Ha! As if you read it!”

Lovino blushed. “Well, I at least skimmed it!”

“And I read the first few lines, so we’re about equal.”

Lovino groaned and buried his face deep into his pillow. “We’re definitely going to end up dead.”

Gilbert patted his back in what Lovino assumed was intended to be a reassuring manner. “The good news is, we’ll probably get to spend more time with each other before we die.”


End file.
